Bottle with cork having cap to allow for inverted storage

ABSTRACT

An improved container for wine that allows for inverted storage includes a cylindrical bottle, with a bottom defining a first plane, sidewalls, shoulders, and a neck, a cork within the neck, and a cap, wherein the cap is received over the neck of the bottle by an annular extension and retained in a frictional engagement. The cap is also shaped in the form of a cylinder and has the same diameter as the bottle and has a top surface that also defines a plane that is parallel with the plane defined by the bottom of the bottle. The outside walls of the cap engage the shoulders of the bottle at the location the shoulders extend from the sidewall of the bottle and thereby the walls of the cap provide support to the shoulders when the bottle is in an inverted position. This bottle may be stored in either an upright position or in an inverted position. When the bottle is in the inverted orientation wine is allowed to come into contact with the cork. The invention is also directed to a method of use of the improved bottle described to allow for the storage of wines.

This invention relates to an improvement for containers for wines, and more particularly a new wine bottle and cap that allows for storage of the bottle in an inverted position so that the wine may be stored maintaining contact with the cork.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is well known among wine distributors and wine enthusiasts that wine bottles should be stored on their sides. It is recommended that wines be stored on their sides because this orientation allows the wine contained in the bottle to come into contact with the cork and this contact is desirable because it maintains the cork moist. If the cork is kept moist, it will not dry out and deteriorate. If the cork deteriorates, the seal on the bottle may be damaged and air may enter the bottle resulting in damage to the wine. Further, if the cork has dried out, when the consumer attempts to remove the cork from the bottle, it may crumble and break.

While the storage of wines on their side is recommended, a sideways orientation is often not convenient. Storing wines on their sides generally takes up more counter or shelf space than storing bottles in an upright position. Further, because most wine bottles are round, if retention means such as wine racks are not used, the bottles may roll. While wine racks or specialized shelving serves to maximize space and provide a stable storage solution, such shelving is relatively expensive and is not very useful for the storage of other items.

While storing wines on their sides is recommended, many people ignore this advice in view of the convenience of storing the bottles in an upright position. Likewise, in a retail environment, wines are often oriented in an upright position so consumers can easily inspect the label. In addition, many consumers of wine prefer to keep wine in the refrigerator or in a pantry. In these circumstances storing wine on its side is not convenient nor is it an efficient use of shelf space.

For the same reasons people store wines on their sides, some people have recommended to store wines upside down. In this regard, many wine manufacturers currently ship their wines with the bottles inverted and recommend storage of the wine crates in such a way that the wine remains upside down. In addition to maintaining the cork moist, multiple cases of wine may be stacked on top of one another when the wine is either in an upright position or when the wine has been inverted. In contrast, most cardboard wine cases will not allow for storage of multiple cases of wines on their sides because, typically the crates are made of cardboard or fiberboard and the cartons may collapse. In response to the need to store wine with the liquid in contact with the cork, there are also a number of wine racks that allow for the storage of wines in an inverted position. However, these racks are expensive and do not use space efficiently.

While the desirability of storing wine in an inverted position has long been recognized, because most bottles have a broad base and a narrow neck, inverted storage was limited to circumstances that provided external support to retain the wines in the upright position. The only practical way of storing the wines in an inverted position is to store the wines in the wine carton or within a special wine rack. However, when the wines are stored in a carton they are difficult to identify. Furthermore, if one has to periodically retrieve the wines from the carton to inspect the labels, the maturing process is disturbed. It is also inconvenient and not particularly attractive to retain a cardboard wine carton when the consumer only has a few wines to store.

While many wines being produced today may be consumed within a year of purchase, top wines need anywhere from three or four years to several decades to reach their peak maturity. In general, most white wines are intended for drinking within two to three years from their date of vintage and therefore also may improve with some maturation. Unfortunately by the time many wines are ready for optimal consumption, most people won't be able to find, or afford, them. Wine cellars and wine racks allow individuals may invest in wines when they are young and less expensive, age the wines in their homes, and then have a superior wine product at a reasonable price. With the exception of sparkling wines, most wines will benefit from some degree of aging. While wine cellars are desirable, they are expensive and not practical for many wine consumers.

The vast majority of wines are sold in traditionally shaped bottles including the Bordeaux bottle which has rounded shoulders and a chardonnay bottle, most often used with white wines, which are often provided in bottles which gradually taper towards the neck. Most wine bottles are round.

Wines are sealed with natural corks, synthetic corks, and less commonly, with a screw cap. While wines with synthetic corks and screw caps do not require storage on their sides, experts recommend that all wine be store with the wine in contact with the cork because the identity of the cork is not always apparent. For instance, corks are often shielded from view by a capsule which prevents their inspection. The capsule is usually made from an opaque material that surrounds the neck of the bottle and protects the cork. In any event, while synthetic corks have made some inroads and have captured some of the market, natural cork remains a very popular manner in which to seal wine containers. Some wine manufacturers may alternate between the use of synthetic and natural cork depending on price and availability of the materials.

Wines and some spirits remain the only widely sold products that use a cork to affect the seal. In general, with the exception of wines, most bottles are sealed with a cap that is approximately the same size as the top of the bottle. The cap may be made of metal or plastic and it is provided with a sealing surface. While many caps of containers are approximately the same size as the opening, in some instances the cap is made larger for cosmetic or functional reasons. Accordingly, in connection with the packaging of some cosmetics, personal care items, water, and food products, bottles having caps which have a surface area that is approximately the same size as the surface area of the bottom of the container are generally known. Products have been commercially sold for many years in bottles having a top flat surface that has an area that is approximately the same area as the bottom surface.

While such bottles may have been sold in the past, none of these products would have any advantage of storing the container upside down because there is no cork used as the stopper. Further, because there is no reason to store the container in an upside down position, the caps are not designed for such an orientation. For example, rather than provide a flat surface on the top of the cap, caps of prior art bottles may have a small dome in the center of the cap or a small extension that is a residual of the molding process that would impede the storage of the device in an inverted position. In addition, some caps of the prior art may not adequately support the weight of the bottle or may not maintain the bottle in a stable position. In addition, because there is no motivation to invert these bottles, the printed matter on the bottles is oriented so that it can only be conveniently read when the bottle is in an upright position.

While some products such as toothpaste and other squeeze tubes have generally embraced the idea of providing a container that can be stored in an inverted position—or on the cap, the applicant is unaware of any bottles—and more particularly any wine bottles—that have been specifically designed to allow for the storage in an upside down or upright position.

In summary there has been a long-felt and unsolved need for an improved wine container that allows storage of the bottles in an inverted position to allow the wine to come into contact with the cork.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a convenient and inexpensive manner in which to store bottles of wine in an inverted position. Preferably the invention would allow for such storage after the cork has been removed as well as with the cork still in place.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to an improved container for wine that includes a bottle, cork and a cap. The cap is provided with means to receive the neck of the bottle and is also supported by the shoulders of the bottle. The top of the cap defines a flat planer surface so that the bottle may be either positioned in an upright position or in an inverted position that allows the wine contained in the bottle to contact the cork and keep it moist. The cap also may function as an alternative seal to the bottle after the cork is removed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the combination of the bottle, cork and cap according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is plan view of the bottom of the cap of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the cap of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the cap of a preferred embodiment of the invention showing the sleeve, bottom surface and sidewalls in phantom.

FIG. 4A is a top view of an alternative cap that includes an annular ridge around the periphery of the cap and the bottle neck sleeve shown in phantom.

FIG. 4 b is a side view of the cap depicted in FIG. 4 a with the bottle neck sleeve shown in phantom.

FIG. 5A is a top view of an alternative cap that includes three arcuate-shaped ridges around the periphery of the top of the cap and the bottle neck sleeve shown in phantom.

FIG. 5B is a side view in elevation of the cap depicted in 5A with the neck sleeve shown in phantom.

FIG. 6A is a top view of an alternative cap that includes three circular pads on the top of the cap.

FIG. 6B is a side view in elevation of the cap depicted in FIG. 6A with the neck sleeve shown in phantom.

FIG. 7A is a top view of an alternative cap that includes a plurality of pads on the top of the cap.

FIG. 7B is a side view in elevation of the cap depicted in FIG. 7A with the neck sleeve shown in phantom.

FIG. 8A is a top view of an alternative cap that includes a square ridge around the periphery of the top of the cap and the bottle neck sleeve shown in phantom.

FIG. 8B is a side view in elevation of the cap described in FIG. 8 a and the bottle neck sleeve shown in phantom.

FIG. 9A is a top view of an alternative cap that includes a hexagonal ridge around the periphery of the top of the cap.

FIG. 9B is a side view in elevation of the cap described in FIG. 9A.

FIG. 10A is a top view of an alternative cap that includes a triangular ridge around the periphery of the top of the cap.

FIG. 10B is a side view in elevation of the cap described in FIG. 10A.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the invention wherein the base and cap are in the shape of a square and the bottle neck is shown in phantom.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the invention wherein the base and cap are in the shape of a hexagon.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the invention wherein the base and cap are in the shape of a triangular.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention wherein the cap and base of the container are round.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Now referring to FIG. 1, the improved wine bottle according to the invention includes a bottle 101 having a base 103 and sidewall 105. Sidewall 105 extends upwards from base 103 to shoulder 107 which then gradually tapers to the neck 109. Neck 109 is located in the center of the bottle and positioned in a sealing arrangement in neck 109 is cork 111. The bottle 101 is depicted holding wine 110 therein.

Cap 120 is in the shape of a right cylindrical and has sidewall 125 that has a diameter that is approximately the same as the bottle 101. The terminal end 128 of sidewall 125 engages the shoulder 107 of bottle 101 near the sidewall of the bottle. Also extending from the bottom surface 142 of the top of the cap is an annular sleeve 150. Referring now to FIG. 2, the inner surface 152 of annular sleeve 150 is designed to snugly engage the outer surface of the neck 109 of bottle 101. The combination of the annular sleeve 150 and sidewalls 125 support the cap, and when in an inverted position, are designed to support the bottle. As used herein, inverted means in a position wherein opening of the bottle is oriented downward with respect to the contents of the bottle. Surface 160 of the cap may also be provided with a resilient material such as cork or polyurethane to assist in sealing the container after the cork has been removed. FIG. 3 generally shows that the top of the cap is round and, in this embodiment, has no other distinguishing features. FIG. 3 depicts three regions 158, 175 and 176 that define a plane. When the cap is secured on the bottle the plane defined by these regions is substantially parallel with a plane defined by the bottom of the bottle 103.

As can be seen in FIG. 4, the top surface 140 of cap 120 defines a planar surface. This surface is substantially parallel with and in axial alignment with the bottom surface 103 of the container. While the bottle 101 is depicted as having a flat bottle surface, many wines have a conical indentation or punt in the center of the bottom and the container therefore rests on an annular ridge that defines a plane. In any event the bottom of the bottle will generally define a plane which enables the bottle to rest on a flat planer surface.

As disclosed herein, the cap 120 provides an easy, convenient and inexpensive manner to allow for the storage of wine in an inverted position and when the bottle and cap is inverted, the wine will contact the bottom surface of the cork 111 and prevent it from drying out. The cap also functions to protect the top of the cork and the neck of the bottle. In addition, after the cork has been removed, the cap may be placed back on the bottle and the engagement of outer sidewalls of the bottle neck and inner sidewalls of the sleeve will seal the container. In a contemplated alternative embodiment of the invention, an additional seal may be made by the contact of the top surface of the neck to surface 160 on the bottom of the cap that has been provided with a resilient sealing material.

In a preferred embodiment the cap is made of plastic or, more accurately, a synthetic resin material. The material which may be themoplastic or thermoset, is preferably slightly flexible and resilient such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene or nylon. The material selected for the cap should allow for a tight fit around the neck of the bottle which thereby can provide a seal between the exterior surface of the glass neck 109 and inner surface of the annular sleeve 150 and the tight fit also contributes to the stability of device when the bottle is inverted.

In a preferred embodiment the bottle is made of glass and is the approximate height and diameter of conventional wine bottles. For instance, in a preferred embodiment the base of the bottle has a diameter of approximately 6.5 mm, the sidewalls extend from the base approximately 25 mm to the shoulder and the maximum height of the bottle including the neck is approximately 30 mm. Selecting these sizes allows for existing automated manufacturing lines to accommodate handing the bottles, filling them and the application of labels. Likewise, if the dimensions are maintained, the wines may be shipped and stored in conventional packaging. Further, using conventional bottle sizes will allow for the display of the bottles on conventional retail wine shelving and wine racks. Maintaining the dimensions of the existing bottles will also result in bottles that have the amount of wine approximately equal to bottle sizes the Bureau of Alcohol and Tobacco and Firearms has previously approved.

While conventional Bordeaux and Chardonnay bottles may be advantageously used with the invention, other shaped bottles are preferred. Since the necks of conventional wine bottles are long, the cap that would be required to effect the invention would have to have very long sidewalls before it engaged the bottle shoulder. Such a cap is unwieldy and would require more materials and therefore would be more expensive to make in contrast with a short cap. Further, if the sidewalls are long, they may have to be thicker in which to better support the weight of the bottle at the lateral sides. In addition, bottles with long necks would be less stable when inverted because more of the weight of the bottle, or the center of gravity of the container, is located near the bottom of the bottle. When the bottle is inverted the bottles would be less stable than the preferred design. Accordingly, preferred embodiments of the invention use a cylinder shaped bottle that improves the stability of the bottle and has similar stability both in an upright position and when inverted. Thus, in the preferred embodiment, the neck of the bottle is shorter than a conventional wine bottle and the sides are cylindrical and extend to a sharp or square shoulder. While a short neck is preferred, the neck must be long enough to receive a conventional cork. Using a square shoulders allows the sidewall of the cap to better engage the bottle and support the weight when inverted.

While it is generally desirable to maintain the dimensions of wine bottles approximately the same as those that are currently sold for the reasons recited above, among others, alternative embodiments of both the bottle and cap are contemplated. For example FIGS. 4 a and 4 b depict an alternative cap design wherein a small annular ring extends along the periphery of the top surface 402. While the annular ring will maintain the stability of the bottle, slightly offsetting the top surface of the cap from the annular ridge may provide some additional advantages. If there is any debris on the surface on which the wine will be stored, the annular ring may elevate the container from the surface so that the debris does not interfere with continuous contact between the container and the surface on which the wine is stored. Providing the annular ring in axial alignment with the sidewalls of the bottle is preferred because, by providing the engagement area at the outer periphery the container is most stable and the contact region is directly supported by the cap sidewalls. The neck sleeve 415 (not to scale) is depicted in phantom. FIG. 5 a and FIG. 5 b depict an alternative cap design wherein three arcuate legs, 504, 505 and 506 extend from the top surface 512 of the cap. The neck sleeve (not to scale) is depicted in phantom. FIGS. 6 a and 6 b depict yet another embodiment of the cap wherein three legs or pads 601, 603 and 604 extend from the top surface 608 of the cap. FIGS. 7 a and 7 b depict yet another alternative wherein the top surface has a plurality of leg extensions 709 that extend from the surface 715 of the cap that also define a plane on the top of the container on which the bottle may rest on a complementary flat planar surface.

FIGS. 8A and 8B depict yet further alternative embodiments of the cap wherein the cap is square and designed to engage a square bottle. Like the alternative caps, a neck sleeve 810 is provided at the center of the cap. FIG. 11 depicts an alternative embodiment of the bottle according to the invention with cap 805 in place, wherein the bottom of the bottle is a square and the sides are rectangles. The neck of the bottle is shown in phantom. Like the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1 and 14, the bottle and cap are designed to be positioned in either the upright or inverted position. FIGS. 9A, 9B and 12 depict an alternative embodiment wherein the bottom of the bottle is a hexagon and the top of cap 905 is a hexagon. FIGS. 10A, 10B and FIG. 13 depict a triangular shaped embodiment of the invention, including a bottle 985 and cap 955. FIG. 14 depicts a perspective view of the round bottle 101 and cap 120 embodiment described above.

It is important that the container, when filled with wine have a center of gravity that is approximately midway on the center axis of the bottle and cap so that the bottle is stable when inverted. Thus, while it may be possible to use other bottle shapes, bottles that are cylindrical and symmetrical in shape may tend to be more stable when in both the upright position and the inverted position. Providing a cylindrical bottle with a short neck allows the center of gravity to be located higher up on the bottle than with conventional bottles. However, the neck must be long enough to receive a cork. As referred to above, round bottles are also easily adapted to existing logistical infrastructure that is now in place for wines. Although not pictured, the use of a round cylinder also allows the inner surface of the sleeve and the outer surface of the neck of the glass bottle to be provided with opposite threads, whereby after the cork is removed the bottle and cap may be conveniently reengaged by such an arrangement and still allow the sidewalls of the cap to engage the sidewalls of the cylinder. 

1. An improved container comprising a bottle, said bottle having a bottom, sidewalls, shoulders, and a neck, a cork, and a cap, said neck of said bottle having a smooth inner diameter and a dimension to receive said cork, and said cap having an annular sleeve to receive the exterior surface of said neck, said annular sleeve extending downward from a lower surface of a top portion of said cap, and said cap further comprising a cap sidewall that extends from said lower surface to said bottle shoulder, and said top portion of said cap having a top surface, said top surface having at least three regions that form a plane, said plane being substantially parallel with a plane formed by the bottom of said bottle, and said three regions are in axial alignment with the bottom of said bottle, wherein said annular sleeve and said cap sidewall support said top portion of said cap and whereby said bottle may be positioned in either an upright position or in an inverted position resting on said three regions and remain stable in either orientation.
 2. The container recited in claim 1 wherein said three regions are located on a flat planar surface.
 3. The container recited in claim 1 wherein the sidewalls of said bottle and said cap form a cylinder.
 4. The container recited in claim 1 wherein said bottom surface is round and said sidewalls form a cylinder, and said top surface of said cap is round and said sidewalls of said cap form a cylinder, and the circumference of said sidewall of said cap and said sidewall of said bottle are approximately equal.
 5. The container recited in claim 1 wherein the bottom surface of said bottle is a polygon and the top of said cap is a polygon and the sidewalls of said cap and said bottle form a cylinder, and the dimension of said polygons of the top of the cap and the bottom of the bottle are approximately the same.
 6. The container recited in claim 5 wherein said polygon is a square.
 7. The container recited in claim 5 wherein said polygon is a hexagon.
 8. The container recited in claim 1 wherein said annular sleeve engages the exterior surface of said neck in a sealing arrangement whereby liquid placed in said container is retained.
 9. The container recited in claim 1 further comprising means to retain said cap on said bottle and wherein a bottom surface of said cap further comprises a resilient material wherein the terminal end of said bottle neck and said resilient material create a liquid tight seal.
 10. The container recited in claim 1 further comprising a liquid in said container.
 11. The container recited in claim 10 wherein said liquid is wine.
 12. The container recited in claim 1 wherein said cork is a natural cork.
 13. The container recited in claim 1 wherein the bottle is symmetrical.
 14. The container recited in claim 1 wherein the location of the center of gravity of bottle filled with liquid is on an axis running through the cork near the midpoint of the bottle.
 15. The container recited in claim 1 wherein the center of gravity of said bottle when filled with liquid is located higher than on a conventional Bordeaux bottle.
 16. The container recited in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of legs extending from the top of said cap wherein said legs define a plane, and the bottle may rest when in an inverted position on said legs.
 17. A method of storing wine wherein a bottle, a cork and a cap as recited in claim 1, is filled with wine and is oriented with the top surface of said cap on a flat surface wherein said wine in said bottle is allowed to come into contact with the bottom surface of said cork. 